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That decks and armes your shield with faire defence. Your court'sie takes on you anothers dew offence."

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29 So beene they both at one,1 and doen upreare Their bevers bright each other for to greet; Goodly comportaunce3 each to other beare, And entertaine themselves with court'sies meet. Then saide the Redcrosse Knight: "Now mote I weet,

Sir Guyon, why with so fierce saliaunce,*

And fell intent, ye did at earst3 me meet;

For, sith I know your goodly governaunce,

Great cause, I weene, you guided, or some uncouth 6 chaunce."

30

Certes," said he, "well mote I shame to tell The fond encheason that me hether led.

7

A false infamous faitour late befell

8

Me for to meet, that seemed ill bested,
And playnd of grievous outrage, which he red
A knight had wrought against a ladie gent 10;
Which to avenge, he to this place me led,
Where you he made the marke of his intent,

9

And now is fled: foule shame him follow wher he

went!"

31 So can he turne his earnest unto game,

Through goodly handling and wise temperaunce.

1 At one, reconciled.

2 Upreare, raise.

3 Comportaunce, behavior.

4 Saliaunce, assault. 5 Earst, first.

6 Uncouth, strange.

7 Fond encheason, foolish occasion. 8 Ill bested, in bad plight.

9 Red, declared.

10 Gent, noble.

By this his aged Guide in presence came ;
Who, soone as on that knight his eye did glaunce,
Eftsoones of him had perfect cognizaunce,1

Sith him in Faery court he late avizd 2;

And sayd: "Fayre sonne, God give you happy chaunce,

And that deare Crosse uppon your shield devizd, Wherewith above all knights ye goodly seeme aguizd3!

32 "Ioy may you have, and everlasting fame,
Of late most hard atchiev'ment by you donne,
For which enrolled is your glorious name
In heavenly regesters above the sunne,

Where you a saint with saints your seat have

wonne !

But wretched we, where ye have left your marke, Must now anew begin like race to ronne.

4

God guide thee, Guyon, well to end thy warke, And to the wished haven bring thy weary barke!”

33 "Palmer," him answered the Redcrosse Knight, "His be the praise, that this atchiev'ment wrought, Who made my hand the organ of His might! More then goodwill to me attribute nought; For all I did, I did but as I ought.

But you, faire Sir, whose pageant 5 next ensewes,

1 Cognizaunce, recollection.

2 Avizd, saw.

3 Aguizd, adorned.

4 Warke, work.

5 Pageant, exhibition; who are next to play your part.

XXXIII. 6.

Whose pageant next ensewes.] At the court of the Faerie Queene the first adventure had been assigned to the

Well mote yee thee,1 as well can wish your thought, That home ye may report thrise happy newes! For well ye worthy bene for worth and gentle thewes."

34 So courteous congé3 both did give and take,
With right hands plighted, pledges of good will.
Then Guyon forward gan his voyage make
With his blacke Palmer, that him guided still:
Still he him guided over dale and hill,
And with his steedy staffe did point his way;
His race with reason, and with words his will,
From fowle intemperaunce he ofte did stay,
And suffred not in wrath his hasty steps to stray.

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35 In this faire wize they traveild long yfere,* Through many hard assayes which did betide; Of which he honour still away did beare,

And spred his glory through all countryes wide.
At last, as chaunst them by a forest side.
To passe, for succour from the scorching ray,
They heard a ruefull voice, that dearnly cride

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With percing shriekes and many a dolefull lay; Which to attend, awhile their forward steps they stay.

36 "But if that carelesse hevens," quoth she, "despise The doome of iust revenge, and take delight

1 Thee, prosper.

2 Thewes, habits, qualities.

3 Congé, leave.

4 Yfere, together.

5 Assayes, trials.

6 Dearnly, mournfully.

Red-cross Knight, and the second to Sir Guyon. See the Author's letter prefixed to the Faerie Queene. H.

To see sad pageaunts1 of mens miseries,

As bownd by them to live in lives despight,2

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Yet can they not warne Death from wretched wight. Come, then; come soone; come, sweetest Death,

to me,

And take away this long-lent loathed light :

Sharpe be thy wounds, but sweete the medicines be, That long captived soules from weary thraldome free.

37 "But thou, sweete Babe, whom frowning froward fate

Hath made sad witnesse of thy fathers fall, Sith heven thee deignes to hold in living state, Long maist thou live, and better thrive withall Then to thy lucklesse parents did befall! Live thou! and to thy mother dead attest, That cleare she dide from blemish criminall: Thy litle hands embrewd in bleeding brest, Loe! I for pledges leave! So give me leave to rest!”

38 With that a deadly shrieke she forth did throw, That through the wood re-echoed againe ;

And after gave a grone so deepe and low That seemd her tender heart was rent in twaine, Or thrild with point of thorough-piercing paine: As gentle hynd, whose sides with cruell steele Through launched, forth her bleeding life does raine, Whiles the sad pang approching shee does feele, Braies out her latest breath, and up her eies doth seele.

1 Pageaunts, spectacles.

3 Warne, keep.

2 In lives despight, in contempt and abhorrence of life.

39 Which when that warriour heard, dismounting

straict

1

From his tall steed, he rusht into the thick,1
And soone arrived where that sad pourtraict2
Of death and dolour lay, halfe dead, halfe quick ;
In whose white alabaster brest did stick

A cruell knife that made a griesly wownd,

From which forth gusht a stream of gore-blood thick,

That all her goodly garments staind arownd, And into a deepe sanguine dide the grassy grownd.

40 Pitifull spectacle of deadly smart,

Beside a bubling fountaine low she lay,

Which shee increased with her bleeding hart, And the cleane waves with purple gore did ray 3: Als1 in her lap a lovely babe did play His cruell sport, in stead of sorrow dew; For in her streaming blood he did embay 5 His litle hands, and tender ioints embrew: Pitifull spectacle, as ever eie did vew!

41 Besides them both, upon the soiled gras
The dead corse of an armed knight was spred,
Whose armour all with blood besprincled was;
His ruddy lips did smyle, and rosy red

Did paint his chearefull cheekes, yett being ded;
Seemd to have beene a goodly personage,

Now in his freshest flowre of lustyhed,

1 Thick, thicket.

2 Pourtraict, image.

3 Ray, stain.

4 Als, also.

5 Embay, bathe.

6 Lustyhed, lustiness, vigor.

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